There are a number of dispensers known in the art for dispensing and cutting sheets of paper toweling or other similar materials. These dispensers are generally divided into two types of dispensers. The first type is a dispenser which the user needs to physically contact the dispenser to dispense a sheet of the material from the dispenser. Generally, the first type of dispenser is typically one which has a lever or push bar that the user contacts and manipulates to dispense the sheet of the web material. The second type of dispenser is a “sanitary” or “no-touch” dispenser. “Sanitary” or “no-touch” dispensers allow a user to obtain a sheet of the web material by only touching the web material extending from the dispenser or by activating an electronic sensor to advance the web material. There is no need for a user to touch any part of the dispenser in order to obtain a sheet from the dispenser of the second type.
Currently available sanitary or no-touch dispensers are operated either manually or electronically. In manual sanitary or no-touch dispensers, the process of dispensing and cutting the web material is carried out automatically by a user pulling on the free “tail” end of the web material that extends from a dispensing slot in the dispenser. In a typical configuration, the web material is engaged against a rough friction-enhancing surface of a feed drum and the action of pulling the web tail causes the drum to rotate. The drum often includes a drive mechanism and, after the initial pull on the web tail by a user, the drum is driven a predetermined rotational degree to dispense a metered amount of the web material, which is referred to as a “sheet” or a “sheet of the web material”. A cam driven cutting mechanism may be provided in the rotating drum that pivots out of a slot in the drum to automatically cut the web at the proper length. This type of dispenser typically includes a stored energy mechanism, such as an eccentric cam, that is spring loaded during the initial rotation of the feed drum. This mechanism generally provides energy to aid in cutting the sheet from the web material, which is generally in roll form, and causes the drum to continue to rotate after the web has been cut to form the sheet. The dispensing action of the dispenser cuts the sheet from the roll of the web material. This action causes an additional length of the web material to be fed out of the dispensing slot as the tail for the next dispensing sequence. As a result, the user only touches the tail end of the web material during dispensing of a sheet of the web material.
Although effective, the conventional manual or mechanical sanitary dispensers utilizing automatic mechanical cutting and feeding mechanisms can be relatively difficult for some users, such as young children and elderly adults, to use. For some users, these manual or mechanical dispensers present an inordinate amount of resistance to pulling to obtain a sheet of the web material from the dispenser. This may be particularly true when the initial pulling action by the user also provides the force needed to load the potential energy spring of the automatic tail feeding mechanism. Further, the high resistance to pulling created by loading of the potential energy in the spring mechanism also means it is necessary for the web materials being dispensed from the dispensers to have a relatively high tensile strength. If the tensile strength of the web material is too low, the web will tend to tear during dispensing, which may cause the dispenser to jam. As a result, the next user will not be able to use the dispenser in a hands free mode to retrieve a sheet of the web material from the dispenser. Additionally, the torn pieces, or tabs, of the sheet material are often dropped on the floor presenting an undesired and unsightly mess on the washroom floor. Lower tensile products are desirable as they are generally softer and are more absorbent than higher tensile products.
Advances have been made in the art relating to purely electronic sanitary web material dispensers. With such dispensers, the unit is typically activated upon detection of motion of a user's arm or hand. A motor is subsequently energized through a control circuit and power source to drive a feed roll and thus dispense a measured length of the web material. This type of electronic dispenser requires the user to tear off the sheet of the web material from the dispenser. To do so, the user then grabs the exposed web material and pulls the web material at some angle to the dispenser cover causing a sheet to be separated from the web material on a cutting edge or serrated tear bar. The cycle is repeated for the next user.
Dispensers have become more specialized and are being designed by manufacturers to dispense a particular product. As a result, the dispenser's operation, including speed of operation, is optimized for that particular product or suite of products. If a different product, for example a product of a different product manufacturer, is inserted into the dispenser, the dispenser may not function properly. For example, the product may become jammed in the dispenser or the cutter blade in the dispenser will not properly cut the product being dispensed. This can be a problem for the manufacturer of the dispenser, since the dispenser will be perceived as a low quality dispenser when the product does not dispense properly; or it could be a problem for the manufacturer that manufactured the product being dispensed, the product could be perceived as being inferior.
There is a need in the art for an electronic pre-cut sheet dispenser that will effectively modify the dispensing parameters based on the rolled material placed in the dispenser and/or based on the actions of the user requiring a sheet of material from the dispenser.